The Braves have announced that they’ve signed righty Jordan Walden to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. He will receive $1M if he’s in the Majors, plus a possible $2MM in incentives, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

The 28-year-old Walden had strong seasons in Atlanta in 2013 and 2014 before heading to St. Louis in the Jason Heyward/Shelby Miller deal two years ago. He managed just 10 1/3 big-league innings in two seasons with the Cardinals, however, before being undone by lat, shoulder and biceps issues. He was reportedly healthy coming into Spring Training this season, but he never ended up pitching competitively this year. The Cardinals recently declined his $5.25MM 2017 option, paying him a $250K buyout instead.

When healthy, Walden features a mid-90s fastball and a good slider, and he has a terrific 10.8 K/9 for his career, to go with a 3.00 ERA and 3.9 BB/9. Obviously, though, after two years of injury trouble, it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be once he returns.

5:05pm: SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that right-hander Jordan Walden will have his option declined by the Cards. That’s hardly a surprising development, as Walden pitched just 10 1/3 innings over the life of what is in hindsight an ill-fated two-year, $6.6MM deal signed prior to the 2015 campaign. St. Louis acquired Walden from the Braves alongside Jason Heyward in exchange for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins back in 2014, but injuries have prevented Walden from taking the hill much at all in the past two seasons. Walden’s option would’ve paid him $5.25MM had it been exercised, but he’ll receive a $250K buyout instead.

11:57am: The Cardinals will exercise left-hander Jaime Garcia’s club option for 2017, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com (Twitter link). Garcia will make $12MM next season.

The injury-prone Garcia tossed 171 1/3 innings this season, easily his most since 2011, but run prevention was a serious problem. On the strength of a bloated home run-to-fly ball ratio (20.2 percent), Garcia put up the worst full-season ERA of his career (4.67). However, he did strike out just under eight batters per nine innings (7.86) while posting a respectable walk rate (2.99) and generating ground balls at a 56.7 percent clip.

Despite his history of injuries and a disappointing 2016, Garcia should draw trade interest if the Cardinals shop him. General manager John Mozeliak already did so during the summer, but Garcia ended up finishing the season in St. Louis. Garcia would certainly be among the most talented starters on the free agent market had the Cardinals bought him out, though, and a $12MM investment could be preferable to teams over signing a flawed free agent for more. The Cardinals could also retain Garcia as depth, of course, as Michael Wacha is a candidate to shift to the bullpen and Lance Lynn missed all of this season because of Tommy John surgery.

The Cardinals have a number of roster decisions to consider even before beginning to look at free agency this winter, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Jordan Walden’s option will be bought out, while Seth Maness, who is currently on the 60-day DL, is a possible non-tender candidate in Goold’s eyes (though that decision won’t come until later this winter). Plenty of deliberation will need to be dedicated to the Rule 5 Draft, Goold writes, as the Cardinals have a large number of players to consider protecting. Last year, St. Louis opted not to protect right-hander Luis Perdomo, believing him to be too inexperienced to stick in the Majors for a full season, but the Padres hung onto him and received 15 starts with a 4.13 ERA in the final few months of the year. Goold lists 15 players that are in need of protection this winter, headlined by infielders Eliezer Alvarez, Edmundo Sosa, Allen Cordoba and Juan Herrera as well as outfielder Magneuris Sierra. Goold’s piece has quite a bit of additional info on each prospect listed, so Cardinals fans (and those who track the Rule 5 Draft in general) will want to check out his column.

More from the game’s Central divisions…

Dexter Fowlertells Bob Nightengale of USA Today that his options in free agency last winter were “few and far between” before he decided to return to the Cubs. “My agent, Casey (Close), was talking to everybody, and I felt like this was the best fit to come back here,” Fowler explained. One reason for Fowler’s struggles on the open market last year, he says, was a perception of his defense. “They said I was a bad outfielder, and I kind of took offense to that,” he explained. “So I just moved back a few steps. I didn’t really do anything too different.” Fowler says that he approached Joe Maddon and other Cubs decision-makers in Spring Training about playing deeper in the outfield and was informed that they’d been hoping to talk to him about that very same strategy. Fowler rated +1 in both UZR and DRS this season, which may not seem overly impressive, but that DRS rating is a stark improvement from his 2015 mark of -12. Fowler implied that he’ll again aim for a long-term deal this winter, though obviously he’ll have more pressing needs on his mind over the coming two to three weeks.

Poor fastball command has become a systemic failure for the Twins, writes Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and it was one of the chief reasons for the struggles of top prospect Jose Berrios in the Majors this season. Berardino examines the struggles that the Twins have had up and down their ranks with fastball location and spoke to pitching coach Neil Allen about the problem. While Allen isn’t even sure that he’s going to be employed by the team next season — the fate of the Twins’ coaching staff will be largely determined by new chief baseball officer Derek Falvey — but he’s taken steps to impress his new boss by compiling a comprehensive pitching plan that he hopes to have implemented throughout the entire organization. Allen said that a more stringent organizational emphasis was placed on fastball command while he was serving as the Rays’ Triple-A pitching coach before joining the Twins, and he hopes to deploy a similar philosophy in Minnesota in 2017 if retained.

Cardinals reliever Jordan Walden experienced shoulder soreness while pitching in a Spring Training game today and will not be ready for the start of the season, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes. Walden will visit a doctor instead of going north with the team. Walden missed most of 2015 due to a rotator cuff injury, but was reportedly healthy coming into camp.

When healthy, Walden can be a difference-maker out of the bullpen — in 2014, before heading to St. Louis in the Jason Heyward / Shelby Miller trade, he posted a 2.88 ERA, 11.2 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 50 innings with the Braves. He was only able to pitch 10 1/3 innings in his first season with the Cardinals, however, not appearing in a game again after April 29.

With Walden out, the Cardinals will have an additional spot open in their bullpen. Goold names Matt Bowman (a Rule 5 pick from the Mets organization who worked as a starter in Triple-A last year) and Juan Gonzalez as pitchers who now might be on the roster bubble.

Braves lefty Andrew McKirahan has a torn UCL and will likely have Tommy John surgery, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. McKirahan will visit with Dr. James Andrews, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (on Twitter). McKirahan left Wednesday’s game with discomfort in his left forearm and had an MRI. He had previously had Tommy John surgery in 2012. Since then, he headed from the Cubs to the Marlins in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, then to the Braves on a waiver claim. He posted a 5.93 ERA (albeit with a decent 7.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9) in 27 1/3 innings in 2015, missing a significant portion of the year after a PED suspension. Here are more quick notes on injuries.

Cardinals righty Jordan Walden’s return from the shoulder issues that sidelined him for most of last year appears to be going well so far, writes MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Walden pitched a scoreless inning against the Astros Friday. Walden was a key part of the Braves’ bullpens in 2013 and 2014 and was expected to help the Cardinals after arriving in the late 2014 trade involving Jason Heyward and Shelby Miller. He only pitched 10 1/3 innings last season, however, none after April 29.

Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton was scratched from yesterday’s game with a stiff right shoulder, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. Hamilton had surgery on the shoulder near the end of last season to fix a torn labrum and had conceded late last month that the shoulder wasn’t completely healthy (although he did say it was “feeling good” and that he wouldn’t be limited in Spring Training). There’s no indication yet, however, that the speedster’s current shoulder stiffness is serious.

The storied rivalry between the Cardinals and Cubs has the opportunity to capture the nation’s attention in 2016 as both clubs enter the year with lofty expectations on the heels of excellent 2015 campaigns, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi opines that St. Louis vs. Chicago has added meaning this year with the Cubs prying Jason Heyward and John Lackey away from the Cardinals and the subsequent comments from Heyward and St. Louis skipper Mike Matheny adding to the feud. Morosi spoke to both Ryan Theriot andMark DeRosa — two now-retired players that experienced both sides of the Cubs/Cardinals rivalry — about what matchups between the two teams were like from a player perspective and about what it would mean for a player to be on a team that finally succeeds in bringing a World Series victory to the Cubs for the first time since 1908.

Here’s more from the division…

Cardinals right-handerMike Leakespoke to FOX’s Ken Rosenthal about his free-agent experience. As Rosenthal writes, stories about Leake wanting to sign with the D-backs were indeed true, although one significant detail of his motivation for that desire was kept out at the time. Leake’s father fell off a roof while constructing a cabin in Montana this past offseason, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, and playing in Arizona would have allowed Leake the opportunity to remain close to his father, Rosenthal writes. However, while both Leake and Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart tell Rosenthal that a deal was close at one point during the winter, Stewart said talks eventually “just broke down” between the two sides. Leake, too, discussed his talks with the D-backs. “It got close. It just never came to fruition,” the right-hander explained. “I felt like there were some that wanted it and some that didn’t in the organization.” Leake said the Cardinals were “quiet at first” before coming on “strong” in their pursuit that ultimately landed him in St. Louis. Leake’s parents both supported his decision to sign with the Cardinals even if it meant creating some distance.

Jordan Walden has thrown off a mound six times since completing a rigorous rehab process on his right shoulder and will do so again today, writes MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Today’s session will mark the first time the Cardinals have seen Walden throw since his injury. Walden now admits, in hindsight, that he tried to rush back too quickly from his initial injury last summer, embarking on a rehab stint in July that was cut short due to shoulder problems that ultimately ended his season.

The Brewers have turned over half of their 40-man roster since the final day of the 2015 season, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. While GM David Stearns tells Haudricourt that he didn’t come into the offseason with a set number of transactions in mind but rather with a goal of accumulating as much controllable talent as possible. “We’re trying to aggregate as much young talent as we possibly can,” Stearns explains. “The 40-man roster is a way we can do that so we have tried to use that tool to add some talent. I don’t know if that exceeds my expectations but we’ve certainly been busy.” (Stearns was recently a guest on the MLBTR Podcast and offered more in-depth comments regarding that quest.) Manager Craig Counsell tells Haudricourt that center field is the most uncertain spot on the roster heading into Spring Training. Haudricourt notes that four of the new additions — Kirk Nieuwenhuis,Rymer Liriano, Keon Broxton and non-roster invitee Eric Young Jr. — have experience there.

The Cardinals will increasingly need to consider a long-term replacement for Yadier Molina, to say nothing of preparing for a season in which he’ll be looking to return from two thumb surgeries, as Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Frederickson spoke with two potential future options behind the dish, Michael Ohlman and Carson Kelly. He adds that St. Louis GM John Mozeliak is still looking to add another veteran option to the mix this spring for depth purposes. While the Cards remain confident that Yadi will be ready to go for 2016, he’s still sporting protection for his thumb at present. Of course, the club still seems committed to relying on Molina — along with new backup Brayan Pena — for the bulk of its backstop duties this year.

Here’s more from the game’s central divisions:

MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch provides some notable Cardinals pen updates in a reader mailbag post. Reliever Jordan Walden is expected to go through a normal spring ramp-up, though she says there’s still uncertainty in his shoulder. The organization does not appear to have any immediate interest in extension talks with closer Trevor Rosenthal, Langosch adds, though there’s little urgency since he only just reached arbitration.

Reds backstop Devin Mesoraco says that he’s feeling well and looking forward to a return after undergoing hip surgery last summer, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. “I’m good. I’m anxious to get back out on the field here,” Mesoraco said. “It’s been a long haul with rehabbing and working out. Everything is feeling the way that it should, the way that we planned.”

The Twins never had serious conversations with third baseman Trevor Plouffe about a long-term deal while negotiating his arb salary this year, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Of course, there’s plenty of time to chat this spring if there’s interest, but it’s not clear that Minnesota would or should pursue a lengthy pact with the 29-year-old, who remains under team control for one more year via arbitration.

Meanwhile, the Twins are not interested in southpaw reliever Eric O’Flaherty, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on Twitter. O’Flaherty was said to be showcasing for scouts yesterday, but it seems that Minnesota won’t be one of the clubs taking a closer look.

The 27-year-old Walden, acquired alongside Jason Heyward this offseason, landed on the DL on April 30 due to a biceps injury that initially came with a six- to 10-week recovery timetable. However, as Goold writes, damage to the rotator cuff in Walden’s right shoulder has kept him on the disabled list and will end his season. He’s hopeful to avoid surgery, but the ultimate outcome of the injury isn’t known.

“There’s not an easy answer,” GM John Mozeliak told Goold. “If his decision is to not have surgery then he’s going to have to have a very rigorous offseason with therapy and it’s going to be a tough go. And if he’s successful with that then I think next year has a possibility. Right now, it’s not looking great.” Mozeliak made a troubling comparison to Mark Mulder, noting that surgery offers no guarantee of fixing the issue and adding that some players have had the surgery Walden is facing and simply never come back.

Walden inked a two-year, $6.6MM contract with the Cardinals after coming over in the trade from the Braves this winter. Mozeliak said that a physical conducted at the time of the deal made the Cardinals aware of some potential risks pertaining to Walden’s shoulder, though clearly the team was comfortable enough to make a commitment of multiple seasons.

Walden pitched in 10 1/3 innings for the Cardinals this year, yielding just one run on seven hits and four walks with a dozen strikeouts. In 222 innings at the big league level, Walden has totaled an even 3.00 ERA with 266 strikeouts against 96 walks (86 unintentional) in 222 innings.

Cardinals reliever Jordan Walden will miss six to ten weeks with a muscle strain in his right shoulder, GM John Mozeliak told reporters including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitterlinks). Seth Maness is set to fill in for Walden in a set-up role in front of closer Trevor Rosenthal.

Having an arm like Maness provides some consolation, but hardly makes up for a significant amount of time without Walden. The 27-year-old righty had been outstanding through 10 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out a dozen batters and permitting only four walks. Though his average fastball velocity has been down by about 1.5 mph as against his numbers last year, continuing a general trend, he still has worked regularly in the 94-95 mph range.

Over six years of MLB action with the Angels, Braves, and now Cardinals, Walden has racked up 222 frames of 3.00 ERA pitching. He has averaged 10.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 with a 41.9% groundball rate over that time.

Walden came to St. Louis as a significant secondary piece in the same deal that brought Jason Heyward from the Braves. The Cardinals wasted little time in extending their commitment to him, inking a two-year deal that bought out Walden’s final two arbitration-eligible seasons for a guaranteed $6.6MM and left the club with a $5.25MM option for 2017.

It seems that the Cards will know much more about Walden’s status in advance of the trade deadline, which should help the team assess its pitching needs. The club is already without top starter Adam Wainwright for the year, of course, which has reduced its overall flexibility in moving players between the rotation and pen.

Anthony Rendon’s return to the Nationals appears to be on hold, as the infielder has suffered a strained oblique muscle during his rehab assignment, manager Matt Williams told reporters, including James Wagner of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Rendon was on the mend from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee but had his rehab assignment shut down after the oblique issue popped up. The severity of the issue and timeline of his return are unknown at this point, per Williams, but the plan for now is for Rendon to rest more.

More injury news pertaining to the Nats and from around the league…

Nationals outfielder Reed Johnson underwent surgery to repair a damaged tendon in his foot over the weekend, Wagner wrote earlier in the week. Wagner writes that the 38-year-old Johnson is expected to be able to rejoin the club later this summer. Williams didn’t sound sure, however, as MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko tweeted yesterday. Asked whether Johnson would be able to return to the Nats this season, Williams simply replied, “I don’t know.”

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak expressed some concern over the shoulder and biceps of setup man Jordan Walden, who is currently on the disabled list, writes MLB.com’s Jen Langosch. Walden is getting a second opinion of the MRIs taken on his arm, but surgery has not been ruled out as a possibility. Mozeliak said at this time, Walden is leaning toward pitching through the injury.

The White Sox will be without right-hander Matt Albers longer than expected, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Albers injured a finger on his right hand in the Sox’ benches-clearing brawl with the Royals earlier this season, and the digit ultimately wound up requiring surgery which will keep him on the shelf for six to eight weeks.

After a slew of bad news in this post, we’ll touch on some good news for the Brewers; Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the early signs on Jonathan Lucroy’s broken toe are positive, and he currently hopes that he can return on the low end of his projected four- to six-week timeline for recovery.